A MENTAL health trust (CWP) has recognised its longest serving members of staff at a celebration event.

Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (CWP) held a Recognition of Service awards for all staff from the Chester area celebrating more than 20 years of continuous service, with attendees clocking up 575 years of service between them.

Cliff Jones, 82, from Chester, was given a special award to celebrate serving more than 50 years.

He said: “I spent the first 35 years visiting the wards each week, holding sing songs with patients.

“In those days the hospital had a single-decker bus which I used to take the patients to other hospitals like Leighton, Mostyn, Denbigh and Winwick to put on variety shows.

“One year I wrote and took part in a Christmas pantomime but I’ve also held music quizzes, and played tunes for patients on the piano.”

Sheena Cumiskey, CWP’s chief executive, said: “The awards ceremony is a great opportunity for us to recognise the effort and commitment that our longest serving members of staff have given.”